Japanese Internship and Study Abroad

Internship

Students who are taking or have taken Japanese at UMBC have a very unique opportunity to do internship at private junior/senior high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. This is based on the Maryland-Kanagawa Sister States Program which established in 1981.

Selected interns will help Japanese students learn English and American culture at a Japanese school. The interns will receive stipend, and stay at an apartment, a school dorm or a host-family. Duration of the internship is usually 3 months.

 

Voices of previous interns:

With the increased amount of independence that I gained from learning how to survive in Japan, I quickly realized that there were just some things that I couldn’t do alone. This is why it was so important for me to build relationships and learn from others during my stay in Japan. The relationships that I was able to build helped me to develop a new sense of understanding for cultural differences and etiquette that I was formerly unaware of. For example, the teacher that I met during the process of completing my assignments. She was one of the people who had the greatest influence on my trip. I could consult her for any type of guidance, if I ever had questions, or just needed somebody to talk to. There were of course other people in my office that I built relationships with who helped me understand things such as the MyNumber card I received through the mail. (Interned Spring 2023)

The Japanese culture revolves around a collectivist mindset and this impacts their everyday life, school life, work environment, and overall interaction with foreigners. There has been many surprises coming from an American culture that the Japanese has made a strong impression on me. Whether they were good or bad surprises I was glad to have experienced it through my own eyes instead of a computer screen. Getting the personal interaction makes it feel like an adventure and I can see myself visiting Japan more in the future. (Interned Fall 2022)

More information, contact: Dr. Tomoko Hoogenboom at tmkhgnbm@umbc.edu

 

Study Abroad
Updated information is also available at Education Abroad Office 

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Students have various opportunities to study abroad in Japan.
Nagoya Castle
UMBC has direct connection with the following universities:

1. Exchange program agreement: Nanzan University [南山大学], Nagoya, Aichi

Nanzan University Scholarship Information

2. Tuition agreement: J.F. Obirin University [桜美林大学], Machida, Tokyo

 

Other universities in Japan:

List of Programs Available at Education Abroad Office

Peace Park in Hiroshima

Opportunities through ISEP

 

Study Abroad Scholarship:

Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)

Tanaka & Green Scholarship [The Japan-America Society of Washington DC]

United States – Japan Bridging Foundation

Resource for Study Abroad and Scholarship:

American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)

 

More information

Education Abroad Office
Study Abroad Program Search
Studying Japanese in Summer

 

Japanese Area Homepage